Making Health Care Work

What's New

With passage of the Senate's version of health reform legislation, Congressional offices have already begun discussions on reconciling the House and Senate health care bills. The pressure is on to resolve differences between the two bills and deliver the strongest possible bill for President Obama's signature in early 2010.

How You Can Help

Tell Us Why You Need Health Care Reform

Please take a moment to tell us about you and your family's struggles with our broken health care system.

Overview

Every year, Americans pay more and more but get less and less when it comes to health care.

Spiraling health care costs have driven the average job-based family insurance plan to more than $12,000 a year, and that price tag and is expected to double by 2016.

America’s health care system is structured for drug industry, insurance company, and medical specialty profits, not better health outcomes for you.

Florida PIRG is fighting for affordable health care that every family can depend on by:

• Stopping insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions.

• Trimming costly red tape and overhead through simplified insurance forms, information technology and insurer-efficiency standards.

• Rewarding personalized care from your provider and prevention, not just endless tests, procedures and emergency room visits.

• Giving every patient and doctor the most up-to-date information on which treatments and medicines work best.

• Making insurance plans compete for your business, by letting Americans choose the care that’s right for them

Our Coalition

At the national level, Florida PIRG participates in these coalitions:

Health Care for America NOW!, is a national grassroots coalition of unions, citizen groups, and advocacy organizations organizing millions of Americans to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for all.

The National Coalition on Health Care, is comprised of more than 70 organizations, employing or representing about 150 million Americans. Members, including businesses, pension funds, unions, consumer groups, and health care provider groups are united in the belief that we need better, more affordable health care for all Americans.

450,000 DOCTORS CAN'T BE WRONG—But the doctors, health care professionals and Congresspeople working for health care reform need your help. They are up against industry lobbyists spending millions.

News

New Report: Health Care Reform Can Save FL $168 Billion 8/05/2009

Health care reform might cost $1 trillion, but it can ultimately save the nation $3 trillion, with billions of dollars of benefits for every state in the union, a new report released today by Florida PIRG. “We can’t put off fixing our dysfunctional health care system any longer.” “Lawmakers are wrangling over how to fund the federal investment in reform,” explained Michael Russo, PIRG health care advocate and author of the report. “But the $1 trillion price tag is two to three times smaller than the potential economic benefits to the country as a whole."

Browse recent news releases by issue.

Reports

Healthcare Reform: The $3 Trillion Dollar Question 8/05/2009

Without health care reform, the United States is projected to spend over $40 trillion on health care in the next decade. Experts estimate that thirty percent of that spending – up to $12 trillion dollars – will be wasted on ineffective care, pointless red tape, and counterproductive treatments that can actually harm patients. Health care reform can save billions of dollars in every state of the union, opening up the possibility of increased private and public investment, higher job growth, and increased savings.

The Small Business Dilemma 7/21/2009

Rising health care costs are choking America’s job-creating small businesses just when we need them the most. It’s long past time for comprehensive health care reform. For the report we surveyed small businesses in Tallahassee, Miami and in communities across the country, collecting hundreds of surveys along with a number of personal stories.

More Reports

ISSUES